WORRIES

Whatever young stock you may be breeding you will inevitably get a few problems and worries along the way and alpacas are no exception. The more experience you have the easier it gets, but none the less when the problems come, if you care, they are still a worry. Today I have worried about Bettina and her cria, who have had a good start and been fine until now. I have been busy with visitors most of the day, but every time I looked across at the cria group this little girl was trying to suckle off her mums elbow... what is going on?  After a little thought I believe it's because with all the rushing in and out of the shelter with the rain showers Bettina has got all uptight about feeding with everyone else too close by... she has been knocking Bliss over whilst telling off everyone else and the safest place to get close is her elbow - but not very sustaining!  She has had a bottle and now that the showers have subsided they are back in the field again and are beginning to settle down..... I hope.

Worry 2 - Beulah and her cria, now named Bobby Dazzler, after the night in they were ready to go out and all was fine, but poor Beulah has so much milk that her teats are beginning to swell to an un-suckable size, so I am having to milk her out every now and then - what she really needs is a nursing bra with savoy cabbage leaves inside - worked for me!!

Hopefully these problems will resolve themselves in a couple of days .....